AJ Dybantsa has been hyped as a generational prospect for years, and it’s not hard to see why. At 6’9” with a seven-foot wingspan, Dybantsa fits the modern wing prototype to a tee. In his lone year at BYU, he averaged 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.4 stocks per game on 51.0% from the field and 33.1% from three.
Not that the Bucks are getting AJ, but before I begin my analysis, I just want to say that, to me, fit is very low on the totem pole of factors Milwaukee should be weighing when drafting;
go and get who you think is the “best player.” The Bucks don’t have the luxury of drafting for fit; this is the first lottery pick the team has had in a decade.
Back to Dybantsa, the 19-year-old just has so many natural tools that he’s able to score over, around, and through defenders; his fluidity is off the charts. He’ll take some time to become proficient from three (if he ever does), but his mid-range game is nasty, with his favourite shot being a turn-and-fade to the middle of the floor. AJ knows how big he is, and got more and more comfortable using that size as the season progressed.
In fact, “progression” is the operative word I would use to describe Dybantsa’s season at Provo. I’ll be honest, I was worried to start the year. The 19-year-old looked raw as all heck in the opening month or so; he just wasn’t impacting the game in a positive manner. I’m talking defensive breakdowns, horrible turnovers, and bad missed shots. However, as the year rolled along, AJ looked more and more like a winning player. His progression from start to finish was night and day.
Now, I know it’s not pretty, but Dybantsa’s best skill coming into the NBA will be his ability to draw fouls (or grift, as the kids say). He averaged 8.5 (!) free throws per game in college. I mean, AJ’s got it all: the swing-throughs, the gathers, the shot fakes. And hey, all the stars learn how to accumulate points at the line, so good on the kid. He also has obvious defensive upside thanks to his tools, but it must be said that he isn’t anywhere near a good defender right now; his off-ball defence was especially poor at BYU. The same goes for his passing; he flashed some solid playmaking, but also averaged 3.1 turnovers per game.
In fact, the idea that Dybantsa has the capacity to be really good at something but isn’t there yet can be applied to many parts of his game. When you compare him to Darryn Peterson, for example, it’s not even a debate who the more polished player right now is—that doesn’t mean Peterson will be the better player 10 years from now. To me, AJ is the ultimate “ball of clay” prospect; he just needs to be moulded into the final masterpiece.
Alright draftniks, who would you take second in this draft? Vote below!
